All of these are myths, with no basis in science or fact. But there are things you
can do when you are trying to get pregnant that will have a direct impact on the
sex of your baby.

These include adjusting the sexual position that you use and changing what you are
eating while trying to conceive in order to change the pH of the vagina. These minor
adjustments can make the difference in how deeply sperm is delivered and how friendly
the environment is, all of which have an impact on the sex of the sperm that survive
the trip to the egg.

Chinese Lunar Calendar

Another instance of people trying to control the sex of their child is the Chinese
Lunar Calendar. This is a grid that is said to have been found in a royal tomb in
Beijing, China, dating back 700 years. By following this calendar and using the mother's
age, a couple was said to have been able to choose their child's sex by choosing
the month of conception. The calendar is still in use today, with some claiming that
it is ninety percent accurate.

Other gender predictors that have questionable accuracy are the needle or wedding
ring test, in which a pin, needle or wedding ring is suspended over either the belly
or wrist of a pregnant woman on a string or strand of hair. The claim is that if
the ring swings back and forth in an arc, the baby is a boy, while if it swings in
a circle, the baby will be a girl.

The one and only test that is 100% accurate is the result of a sampling of amniotic
fluid; this is an invasive test performed while trying to warn against genetic disease;
physicians will not conduct this test just to provide information about a baby's
gender. Ultrasounds are usually accurate regarding a baby's sex, but not 100%.

Pregnancy comes with all sorts of strange symptoms and feelings, and lots of questions
and unsolicited advice from strangers. One of the most common things for an expectant
mother to wonder about (and for friends, family and strangers to offer opinions on)
is whether you are having a boy or a girl. Although there are really only one or
two ways to tell with absolute certainty what the sex of your baby is, it's always
fun to play guessing games about it, especially if you followed instructions on how
to have a boy or girl.

Old Wives Tales

The desire to know early on whether a woman is pregnant and what gender the baby
is going to be dates back centuries. There is even evidence that the ancient Egyptians
performed an early pregnancy test in which a woman who suspected she might be pregnant
would urinate on a handful of barley and wheat seeds. If nothing grew from the seeds,
she wasn't pregnant, but if wheat blossomed from the grains, she was having a girl.
If barley grew she was having a boy, and there is no report as to what they thought
if both grains grew! Performing the same test today does not predict gender, but
does show that both grains will grow if the urine comes from a pregnant woman versus
a man, or a woman who is not pregnant, possibly making this the earliest accurate
pregnancy test.

Because of the natural curiosity as to what a baby's sex will be, there are lots
of old wives' tales and modern quizzes available in pregnancy magazines, books and
websites that claim to accurately predict if you're having a boy or a girl baby.
These include forecasts based on the appearance of your stomach and how you are carrying
(high and out front means boy, low and wide means girl), how fast or slow your doctor
reports that your baby's heart rate is (140 or above means girl, 130 or below means
boy), and whether the expectant mom is looking radiant and beautiful (boy) or a bit
swollen and exhausted (girl).